The key to this trade is not the Rangers got the best player in the deal, its they also got his personality and on/off ice presence. The NHL dressing rooms don't have any secrets, talk amongst opposing friends tells all. Drury should know the potential lighter he's getting for 1/2 a room of dead wood. I'm hopeful Drury is smart enough to know Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin and now also Lafreniere need a fire lit under their collective ass's. And he acquired Miller to annoy, irritate, humiliate them into stop whining with excuses and man up. After he sets the on ice example of course. Miller was a top ten Nhl player last season. I expect this trade gets him going and hopefully this team going. Hopefully Miller is smart enough to know he has to walk the walk before he talks the talk.
He definitely walked it yesterday. But time will tell… It’s just good to see a guy with a motor for a change. There’s a dude on Sirius nhl network (Kouleas?) that talks about the “give a flip meter.” JT definitely give a lot more “flip” than Mika and CK, for starters.
Here's the question that remains unanswered definitively -- Is management going to try and make a last run with the rotten core this year? If so, they're going to need a lot more than JT and I don't see how adding on the fringes as they have the last two years is going to move the needle significantly. They would have to major at least 2 major acquisitions to start the "make some noise in the playoffs" conversation. Can they do this without giving up some (if not all) of their future? We'll have a definite answer by the end of TDL (if not beforehand).Does Miller make the Rangers better?
Somewhat... But there are still soft spots that need to be addressed...
Dose he help make the Rangers defensively? Probably not.
But given the market, I don't know if there were many better options available.
Can he quickly adapt to his Rangers teammates. I think so...
He is Ranger again and I will pull for him and call out if he sucks.
LFGR
The key to this trade is not the Rangers got the best player in the deal, its they also got his personality and on/off ice presence. The NHL dressing rooms don't have any secrets, talk amongst opposing friends tells all. Drury should know the potential lighter he's getting for 1/2 a room of dead wood. I'm hopeful Drury is smart enough to know Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin and now also Lafreniere need a fire lit under their collective ass's. And he acquired Miller to annoy, irritate, humiliate them into stop whining with excuses and man up. After he sets the on ice example of course. Miller was a top ten Nhl player last season. I expect this trade gets him going and hopefully this team going. Hopefully Miller is smart enough to know he has to walk the walk before he talks the talk.
He definitely walked it yesterday. But time will tell… It’s just good to see a guy with a motor for a change. There’s a dude on Sirius nhl network (Kouleas?) that talks about the “give a flip meter.” JT definitely give a lot more “flip” than Mika and CK, for starters.
Had a second game of walking the walk.
Here's the question that remains unanswered definitively -- Is management going to try and make a last run with the rotten core this year? If so, they're going to need a lot more than JT and I don't see how adding on the fringes as they have the last two years is going to move the needle significantly. They would have to major at least 2 major acquisitions to start the "make some noise in the playoffs" conversation. Can they do this without giving up some (if not all) of their future? We'll have a definite answer by the end of TDL (if not beforehand).Does Miller make the Rangers better?
Somewhat... But there are still soft spots that need to be addressed...
Dose he help make the Rangers defensively? Probably not.
But given the market, I don't know if there were many better options available.
Can he quickly adapt to his Rangers teammates. I think so...
He is Ranger again and I will pull for him and call out if he sucks.
LFGR
Only way your bringing in two players is trading Kreider and replacing the third line center if Zibanejad stays on the wing. I have hopes Othmann can continue his recent scoring and get back up to the NHL and be a help on the third line. Has the type of game the Rangers still need and hopefully he can translate it in time to help in the stretch drive and they can get in the playoffs. Add a gritty Center for the third line with Zib on the wing and the Rangers could become a tough out.
Had a second game of walking the walk.
I think we're still in the honeymoon stage with Miller, so we'll see how long he can sustain this sort of energy. He still has challenges defensively, and they'll be overshadowed when he's scoring, but perhaps not when he's not putting them in the net.
I know there was a post earlier in the thread about how he should age better, but I'd also point out that physical players tend to wear down over time, and so that may actually see him drop off a bit, or get injured, or both.
On the plus side, Zibanejad looked better on the right wing. Perhaps that will get a bit more out of him.
I hope it all works out, just skeptical...and you have a short window to get value out of him IMO.
Was there anybody available that is better than Miller? Hard to tell I know but he is still a helluva player and much more competitive than we Rangers fans remember of Miller version 1.0. Drafting players is a hit or miss proposition as we know too well.
I think JT comes in here and wants to become a leader that makes the players around him better and that is a quality that has been lacking here for a long time. (Since Messier V1.0) Not saying he is Messier but he can help fill that void. We have not heard any bitching about him coming in here and upsetting the roles. I think Vinnie, Kreider, and Zib look up to him and seem to be ok with that.
Rangers needs still are a dominant RW and a real #1 defenseman. Fox is a $9.5M cap hit and he can't defend worth a poo. He needs to move to the wing.
I have hopes for Othmann he seems to be getting his mojo back but I worry about his size too, but he's another left wing....@175 lbs. it always becomes a physics equation when you go up against 215 lb. players. I don't care how tough and gritty you are it just becomes a matter of time before something breaks either structurally or will. But as I check now NYRangers.com lists him as 192 lbs... So that is a PLUS
I know I am beating a dead horse (actually more of a little whiny pony boy) but I think Fox is a bigger problem than Kreider or Zib.
If they need me to bleed, then I'll bleed for my team
Had a second game of walking the walk.
I think we're still in the honeymoon stage with Miller, so we'll see how long he can sustain this sort of energy. He still has challenges defensively, and they'll be overshadowed when he's scoring, but perhaps not when he's not putting them in the net.
I know there was a post earlier in the thread about how he should age better, but I'd also point out that physical players tend to wear down over time, and so that may actually see him drop off a bit, or get injured, or both.
On the plus side, Zibanejad looked better on the right wing. Perhaps that will get a bit more out of him.
I hope it all works out, just skeptical...and you have a short window to get value out of him IMO.
For sure Miller will reach his expiration date whether caused by injury, wear down, or his present refreshing presence becomes unrefreshing. Interesting Zibanejad likes and probably the rest of the team like that Miller is always talking. Question is what can the Rangers win before they don't like his always talking. And that will come, unless Miller is smart enough to tone it down.
Was there anybody available that is better than Miller? Hard to tell I know but he is still a helluva player and much more competitive than we Rangers fans remember of Miller version 1.0. Drafting players is a hit or miss proposition as we know too well.
I think JT comes in here and wants to become a leader that makes the players around him better and that is a quality that has been lacking here for a long time. (Since Messier V1.0) Not saying he is Messier but he can help fill that void. We have not heard any bitching about him coming in here and upsetting the roles. I think Vinnie, Kreider, and Zib look up to him and seem to be ok with that.
Rangers needs still are a dominant RW and a real #1 defenseman. Fox is a $9.5M cap hit and he can't defend worth a poo. He needs to move to the wing.
I have hopes for Othmann he seems to be getting his mojo back but I worry about his size too, but he's another left wing....@175 lbs. it always becomes a physics equation when you go up against 215 lb. players. I don't care how tough and gritty you are it just becomes a matter of time before something breaks either structurally or will. But as I check now NYRangers.com lists him as 192 lbs... So that is a PLUS
I know I am beating a dead horse (actually more of a little whiny pony boy) but I think Fox is a bigger problem than Kreider or Zib.
he was undisciplined and inconsistent when he was here. I was surprised when they included him in the McDonagh deal, felt like they were giving him away, but it wasn’t surprising that they traded him
So I don't recall him playing with linemates that were up to his talent level. I remember Grabner and Hayes.... I can understand being inconsistent playing with those guys but I don't recall the undisciplined part of his game... And if he didn't like play for AV, there were a lot of guys on that list. I think McD and JT got a raw and as it turns out a bad deal.Was there anybody available that is better than Miller? Hard to tell I know but he is still a helluva player and much more competitive than we Rangers fans remember of Miller version 1.0. Drafting players is a hit or miss proposition as we know too well.
I think JT comes in here and wants to become a leader that makes the players around him better and that is a quality that has been lacking here for a long time. (Since Messier V1.0) Not saying he is Messier but he can help fill that void. We have not heard any bitching about him coming in here and upsetting the roles. I think Vinnie, Kreider, and Zib look up to him and seem to be ok with that.
Rangers needs still are a dominant RW and a real #1 defenseman. Fox is a $9.5M cap hit and he can't defend worth a poo. He needs to move to the wing.
I have hopes for Othmann he seems to be getting his mojo back but I worry about his size too, but he's another left wing....@175 lbs. it always becomes a physics equation when you go up against 215 lb. players. I don't care how tough and gritty you are it just becomes a matter of time before something breaks either structurally or will. But as I check now NYRangers.com lists him as 192 lbs... So that is a PLUS
I know I am beating a dead horse (actually more of a little whiny pony boy) but I think Fox is a bigger problem than Kreider or Zib.
he was undisciplined and inconsistent when he was here. I was surprised when they included him in the McDonagh deal, felt like they were giving him away, but it wasn’t surprising that they traded him
But hindsight is 20-20.
If they need me to bleed, then I'll bleed for my team
So I don't recall him playing with linemates that were up to his talent level. I remember Grabner and Hayes.... I can understand being inconsistent playing with those guys but I don't recall the undisciplined part of his game... And if he didn't like play for AV, there were a lot of guys on that list. I think McD and JT got a raw and as it turns out a bad deal.
But hindsight is 20-20.
He got opportunities to play up and down the line-up. He'd take bad penalties mostly, and then just not even show up other games. I mean there was enough to like, but there appeared to be maturity issues with how he played the game. He still plays intensely for sure, but appears to have figured some of that out.
And remember, it wasn't just the NYR that decided to move on from him, the Lightning did too. They prioritized other players over him. He kind of found his feet in Vancouver, which is where he is now...probably grew up a bit too along the way.